Saturday, 28 June 2014

Wow it's been a while since I have blogged, but them it's been a while since I have crafted! We are undertaking a different type of crafting at home at the moment- renovating our lounge and dining room and it's a mammoth job so is keeping us busy and there isn't a lot of free time to play! Saying that though this afternoon I have made the time, as recently my lovely Mummy bought me a melt pot and it's been sat in it's wrapper dying to be played with and I just couldn't leave it any longer to get melting!

In true crafter style I just sat and had fun, and part of that was dipping some hand made flowers in utee. Then I had to decide what to do with them of course, and I stumbled across a little MDF heart that I had painted and added Kroma Crackle to a while ago as an experiment (I'd never used it before) and an idea popped into my head!

I set to work with some gilding waxes to highlight the crackle, and added a Graphic 45 tag, my flowers and some metal leaves and it all came together perfectly (well I think so anyway!).

Now all I need is somewhere in the building site that is my house to hang it!

Friday, 6 June 2014

This week I found time to have a much needed sort out of my paper drawers- mammoth job but it feels so good knowing they are all sorted (for now at least!). During my rummaging I found a pile of prints I

made when I was first experimenting with my gelli plate. I had filed them in the 'unlikely to ever use as I didn't know what I was doing' pile (still don't I know!) and decided that rather than throw them away as I hate waste, I would have a play at making a mixed media new home card.

I cut out my shapes and played with the layout, and convinced myself I wouldn't be able to pull off anything like some of the lovely mixed media pieces I have drooled over on Pinterest and that it would end up looking like the work of one of the 2 or 3yr olds I look after in my day job! I decided to take the 'what the heck- just have fun anyway' approach, set to my sticking and stamping and it started to resemble a version what I had in my head. A bit of outlining with pens and chalk and the addition of a sentiment typed on the old typewriter I bought recently for a fiver for the kids to play with ( and I have since staked a crafty claim on- well it had to be done!) and this was the result.

It's far from perfect, but seeing as it was made from bits that were originally destined for the bin I think I did ok after all. Sometimes it pays to embrace that inner 3yr old!

Thursday, 5 June 2014

A friend who knows I like a challenge asked me if I could possibly create a combined wedding and new home card for her to give to some friends. I don't mind admitting I was a bit stumped as to how best to combine the two events as I have stamps for both occasions but in very different styles. A rummage through my boxes though came up with a cute little birdhouse stamp that I had forgotten I owned, so I decided to go with a lovebirds in their new nest type theme.

After stamping and colouring the main image I masked it off and added clouds using a mask from Sam's Masks and Stencils and tumbled glass distress ink, applied with a dusting brush. I framed it with tree branches from Sheena Douglas's A New Leaf stamp set, and added pretty blossom with a Chocolate Baroque stamp. The sentiment was typed on my computer and I layered the whole thing on pink and blue card stock.

I do like a challenge, and hopefully I have managed to do a successful job of rising to this one!

Sunday, 1 June 2014

I always find cards for boys really hard but I thoroughly enjoyed making this one this week for a super hero loving little boy. The digi is from Simply Betty and he was coloured with promarkers. I struggle with colouring black and grey so he was a real challenge but I think he turned out ok!